Pan connecter



W. SCROKER PAN CONNECTER Jan, 5, 1925.

Filed May 5, 1924 Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

UNITED stares ara-N1 entice. H

PAN oolvnno'imn.

Application filed May 5,

This invention relates" to afine'a'n's for are; venting thetipping' overand sliding o of pans used for conveying parts around tacitories ontracks It is customary in eertain kinds of factories to place partsoftheman- V nfactured articles, after they have been through one machineor process, 1n a series ort large sheet metal pans, place these pans ontrucks, on which they are piled up several deep, and convey them aroundtheshop to bring them into a position for the next operation, orsometimes they are placed on conveyors. As they are sometimes loadedbeyond their capacity and those above are located in slanting orinclined position, they slide or slip off the trucks on which they areplaced and cause considerable trouble and loss of time.-

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simpleinexpensive and practical means for connecting. the pans so that theycannot slide off the trucks and cannot tip over while they 1 are beingconveyed around the shop;

The inventionalsoinvolves the detailso't the connecting device and itsoomh'inatioi'i' with the pans. Q t

Referenc is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which' Fig. 1 isa side view of a part of a truck such as is used in certain kinds offactories showing a pile of; pans containing metal parts and locatedthereon and also illustrating the action of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the adjacent edges of a couple of these pans withthis invention in position thereon;

Fig. 3 is an end View on enlarged scale showing the connection of thepans;

Fig. 4 is a side view of one form of stud used; and

Fig. 5 is a side View partly in section of another form of stud.

As stated, it is customary to use sheet metal pans 9 for storing partlyfinished articles and conveying them around the factory. I do notcontemplate any change in the pans themselves but for the purpose ofapplying this invention I provide each, one with four 1924. Serial Nb.711,156.

Stu-(1510'; Each pair ofstuds is located on;

opposite" enjds of the pan near their edges and in axial alignment witheach other; All these studs are arranged just alike on: the: pans sothat there need be o' di'fi'erence in applying them. i Q

.In the form shown in Figs. 1', 213 and 4 each ofthese studs compriseshead 1, a shank 12 at theiother endand abearing part 13' between them oflarger diameter than the shank. The shank is pl aeedf through the"meta-l wall of the pan and ri 'ieted over to form a permanent lieu'tl-14' so that the studis firmly and-permanently seoured in po's'i tion'.The heari'i'ig length. I p I p \Vhe'nthe fourstnds are pla'c-ed- 'onfthe pain' two of them at one edge" are p l'aced in position just asabove" deszribe'd'; but the two at the other edge are provided; beforebeing fixed to th'e' p'a'n' with a pair of links 15. Each one ofthese'links is providedwith a longitudinal slot 16 near o'nef'e'n'dojfa widthas great as the diameter the hearing part 13, a-nd the l'i'nlgas'stated,- i-s' applied to the stud before the stud is"ri'veted"'ov'er'and thereaft r' is permanently .bnt pi'votall'y mounted thereon; Eachlink provided" with an opening 17 in its opposite end; and I have shownthese o enings as of a key slot shape with an upwardly extending slot orextension lSat i'ight' angles to the slot 1F); This opei'i'in'g,ontheeireular part of it, is larger than" the head II of one of thestuds" wh-i le the other part 18 of the opening is wide enough to.portions p v p w M In normal position, the, link hangs down as showndotted lines iii Fig; and at the top of I, but when two or thesepans areplaced side by side the link is moved up so that the stud of the nextpan passes into the opening 17 and then is allowed to drop to theposition shown in Fig. 3 and also in Fig. 1. The length of the bearingportion 13 is considerably greater than the thickness of the link 15 topermit sufiioient play so that the links can be applied without liftingeither end of the pan. When fastened up in the manner shown anddescribed it will be seen that the several pans cannot be moved endwisewith respect to each other except very slightly. However, they can bepiled up in irregular manner, tilting one way or the other as indicatedin Fig. 1 without disconnecting them or permitting them to weav -one ofthe bearing be moved much independently of each other. If one end ishigher than the other that does not affect the connections as there issufficient play to allow for slight irregularities in that respect.

In this way the transferring of parts of manufactured articles aroundthe factory is greatly facilitated and the loss of time and material dueto upsetting of these pans is almost entirely avoided While the workmenwho pile them on the trucks can do it faster because they do not have tobe so particular about the location of the pans. All they have to do isto get them near enough so that they can connect them in the mannerabove described.

e Other forms of studs can be used than the one described, and Ihaveshown one in Fig. 5.. This kind of stud is not permanently mounted, butis detachable. It has a head 21 which is shown as hollow, a bearingportion 23, and a bolt 24 which furnishes the stud passing through thewall of the pan. The end of the bearing portion 23 constitutes ashoulder and the Wall of the pan can be clamped between this and thehead of the bolt, so that the stud is securely fixed in position. Thishas advantages for some classes of work.

, Although I have shown and described only two forms of the invention Iam aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in the art with out departing from the scope of theinven' tion as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to belimited to all the details of construction herein shown and described,but what I do claim is 1. The combination with a pan for the purposedescribed having studs thereon and links freely and pivotally mounted oncer tain of saidv studs, each of said links having an opening throughits free end large enough to receive thehead of another one of saidstuds, whereby it can be connected to the corresponding stud on anotherpan to prevent displacement of the pans.

2. The, combination with a pan for the purpose described having fourstuds thereon located on parallel axes near the four corners, and a pairof links pivotally mounted ontwo of said studs, each of said linkshaving an opening through. its free end large enough to receive the headof one of said studs, whereby it can be connected to the correspondingstud on another pan to pre vent displacement of the pans.

3. As an article of manufacture, a pan for the purpose described, formedof sheet metal and having four headed studs on parallel axes located inpairs on the two ends. of the pans near the sides thereof, a pair oflinks pivoted on two of said studs on thesame side of the pan,ea'clrlink being free to swing on its stud and of a length greater thantwice the distance from the axis of its stud to the edge of the pan andhaving at its opposite end a perforation larger than the head of thestud, said perforation having an extension. upwardly therefrom smallerthan the head of the stud but larger than the bearing portion thereof,whereby it can be slipped over the head of a corresponding stud onanother pan to detachably connect the two pans together.

4. As an article of manufacture, a connecting device for the purposedescribed comprising two studs having heads and shanks and a. bearingportion between the same, a link permanently and loosely pivoted on oneof said bearing portions and of a thickness less than half of the lengthof the bearingportio-n to permit freedom of motion sidewise withincertain limits, said link having at its opposite end an opening largeenough to receive the head of one of said studs and provided with anextension at right angles to the length of the link, wide enough toreceive the bearing portion of one of said studs, whereby the link canbe moved about on its pivot to bring the opening into registration withthe other stud and permit. the two studs to be freely and detachablyconnected together.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature. p

WILLIAM SGROKER.

